Seed-sowing device



Nov. 20 1923.

P. s. MARTIN SEED SOWING DEVICE Filed Jan. 7. 1922 4 SheetS -Sheet 1 FIG I 59 57 55 -(Dig INVENTOR: Perry S Mdifiilf.

. TTORNEYS.

I Nov. 20 1923.

P. S. MARTIN SEED SOWING DEVICE File J 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

BY M

TTORNEYS.

INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY% Nov. 20 1923.

P s MARTIN SEED SOWING DEVICE Filed Jan. 7. 1922 WITNESSES:

Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

UNITED PATENT OFFICE,

SEED-SOWING DEVICE.

Application filed January 7, 1922. Serial No. 527,548.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Pi-znnr S.l\lARlIN. a citizen of the United States. residing at Harrisonburg, county of Rockingham, and State of Virginia. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seed-Sowing Devices. of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to agricultural implements of the type useful in planting seeds and commonly known as seeders.

Many devices have been heretofore designed for this purpose but difiiculty has been experienced in accurately controlling the discharge of the seeds on account of variations in the sizes and kinds of seeds with the result that the process of sowing was either too sparse and irregular. or too abundant and consequently attended by waste.

The main object of my invention is to overcome the difficulties pointed out and to make it possible to sow seeds with positive accuracy both as to spacing and number, and to accomplish this regardless of the size or the kind of seeds which are. to be sown. ()ne way in which this desideratum may he obtained will become apparent from the detailed description of one or more typical embodiments of my invention which follows.

In the drawings, Fig. I is an elevation showing a seed sowing device conveniently embodying my invention in a form more es pecially adapted for use in association with wheeled tool supporting carriages of manually propelled, combination garden implements. 7 I

Fig. II is a direct plan View, on an enlarged scale. of the seeder detached.

Fig. III is a direct end elevation of the seeder as viewed from the left of Figs. I and II.

Fig. IV is a central longitudinal section through the seed hopper viewed in the direction of the arrows IVIV' in and III.

Fig. V is a cross section through the seed hopper taken is-indicated at VV in Figs. II and IV.

Fig. VI is a section in the same plane as that of Fig. V but viewed in the opposite direction as shown by the arrows VI-VI in Figs. I1 and IV.

Fig. VII is a plan view showing a seeder Figs. 11

of my invention of a type adapted to be horse or tractor drawn and embodying certain modifications and additions.

Fig. VIII is an elevation of the structure shown in Fig. VII, viewed from the bottom of the latter illustration.

Fig. IX is a cross sectional view of the hopper of the above structure taken as indicated at IX-IX in Figs. VII and VIII.

Fig. X is a detail section along the line X--X in Fig. VIII.

Fig. XI is a detail sectional view showing the manner in which the seeds are trapped by the means which elevates them to the discharge outlet of the supply hopper in a manner common to both forms of seeders.

Fig. XII is a perspective view of the rotating seed elevating element; and

Figs. XIII, XIV and XV are perspective views of auxiliary plates which may be interchangeably used with the seed elevating means to secure different combinations whereby the rate of'discharge of the seeds may be predetermined.

Referring first to the form of my inven tion illustrated in Figs/I to VI of the drawings, the seeder is comprehensively indicated at 1 and shown as being I'emovably attached at 2, to a wheeled tool supporting carriage 3 of a. typical manually controlled, combination, garden implement having the usual v grip handles 4. The seeder comprises a frame having two similar side bars 5-5 which are joined at one end. by a yoke piece 6, and at the other ends afford bearings for an interposed follower or trailer wheel 7. In attaching the seeder the yoke piece 6 is engaged about. the tool hitching post 8 i of the carriage 3, and a bolt 9 with a winged nut affords a convenient securing means, see Fig. II. The yoke piece is fastened to the frame, with provision for allowance of angular adjustment of the seeder as a whole with respect to the carriage 3 for a purpose explained later, by aligned pivot bolts or rivets 10-10. As a means of securing the adjustment just referred to, I have shown at 11 in Figs. I and II, a bolt which. passes through apertures in the side bars 5-5, then through arcuate slots 12 in the extremities of the yoke piece 6 and through a spacer sleeve 13, and has a winged nut 14 'whereby it is turned to clamp the extremities of said yoke piece between the ends of the spacer sleeve and the inside of the bar.

Mounted to the frame of the seeder with its longitudinal center offset to one side of said frame, is a seed hopper 15. The base 16 of this hopper is rounded or semi-cylindrical The hop-per is closed by a removable cover 9 22 having depending flanges 23 which extend about the rear and two sides thereof and overhang the hopper top. The cover is held in place jointly by engagement of a pin 24 (Fig. IV) at the back ofthe hopper with an aperture in one of the cover flanges and by similar engagement of a pin 26 at the front of the hopper with a leaf spring clasp- 27 attached to the free edge of'the cover.

When it is desired to remove said cover, this may be accomplished simply l y lifting the spring clasp to disengage the same from the pin 26.

The hopper 15 has at a level well above its bottom, an outlet 28 through which the seeds are discharged as will be presently explained to a chute 29 which leads to a point within the crotch of the furrow opener 30, see Fig. IV. Said furrow opener is secured with capacity for vertical adjust-- ment, to a lug or plate 31 formed as an integral part of the hopper bottom 16, a clamp screw 32 being provided to fix said furrow opener in its adjusted positions. By the arrangement of the chute 29 with respect to furrow opener as just described, the seeds are dropped directly within a newly made furrow.

The seeds are elevated to the discharge outlet 28 previously referred to, by an element 33 which rotates about an axis concentric with the rounded hopper base 16. This element is composed of a changeable number of circular disk laminations 3434 (see Fiigs. IV and XII) each having a series of bevelled apertures 35 which are adapted to register when the element is assembled to afford jointly, conical cells for receiving one or more seeds as may be desired and which may be predetermined as hereinafter explained. The disk laminations 3434 are appropriately pierced centrally as at :37 to fit about a polygonal stud 38 which projects inwardly from the wall 39 of the hopper. Said stud is in the form of a head having an axially reduced cylindrical portion 40 which has bearing in a suitable opening in the said hopper wall. The disk laminations are held in assembly on the stud 38 and the art-vases composite element 33 Ma tha same time pressed against the inner face of the hopper wall 39 by a double ended, leaf spring 411 which is secured to the stud by a thumb screw 42. The ends of said spring play within clearancespaces 43 of the stud andbear against the outermost one of the disks 34 of the group as seen to best advantage in Fi .IV.

y reason of the inclination of the hopper 15, as shown, it will be apparent that the seeds flow or move, under the influence of gravity, toward the element 33 and are trapped in the cells 35. This action will be readily understood from Fig. XI where it will be noted that the supporting ledgesafforded by said cells are at an acute angle to the inner face of the hopper wall 39 so that a seed when received is effectively retained against displacement. During rotation of the element 33 the trapped seed merely rolls within its cell, and by virtue of this movment any surplus seeds which may be retained initially are rejected before the cell reaches the point of registry with the discharge opening 28. The disks 34 are in practice preferably made of inch stock so that by varying their number, the element may be transformed, with minute accuracy.

to provide supporting ledges of different widths for adaptation to different sizes or kinds of seeds. Variation may also be had by choice of the disks with reference to the diameters of their conical apertures to afford smaller or larger cells of different depths as may be desired. I have found that the best results in assuring accurate discharge of the seeds are secured when the hopper is tilted at an angle of about 20 to-thenormal. I also prefer to provide for use with the disks of the element 33, auxiliary cover plates such as shown at 45, 46 and 47 in Figs. XIII, XIV and XV, having respectively four, two and one apertures 48 and also the polygonal openings 49 for engaging with the stud 38. When the plate is used, it will be apparent that four of the cell apertures 35 in the element 33 will be eliminated from activity; when the plate 46 is substituted all but two of the apertures are rendered inactive; and with plate 47. but one of the apertures remains uncovered. In this way the rate of discharge of the seeds and hence the spacing of the seeds in the furrow may be varied without change of the speed of rotation of the element 33.

In order to enable better controlling of the feeding of the seeds to the elevating element 33 I have interposed a partition 50 which has side flanges 51-51 whereby itis spaced from the inside face of the wall 39 of the hopper, and a rounded lower edge which fits the curvature of the base 16. Said partition is removably secured in place by a screw bolt 52 (Figs. II and IV), and a portion of its lower edge is cut away at 44, (Fig. VI), to permit passage of the seeds from the hopper proper to the rotating element 33. The flow of the seeds through the opening thus established, is governable by a vertically adjustable gate 53 having a slot 54 which is overlapped by the head of a rivet 55 and also the head of a bolt 56, the latter having a winged nut so that the gate can be clamped in any of its adjusted positions. It is to be noted that the gate 53, in conjunction with the sides of the hopper, acts to maintain a definite seed level in the disk compartment and to permit the level to be varied for the discharge of seeds of different sizes. The benefit of maintaining a definite seed level, particularly with small seeds is that the exact number of seeds dropped at each discharge may be controlled. This is due also to the elevated discharge opening and the disk whereby the action above mentioned takes place, namely; that as each filled cell moves upward the seeds roll around and some of them drop back, eventually leaving only a certain number in the cell (which will be the same each time for the same seed level) to be discharged.-

It is to be remarked that the reason less seeds are dropped with a low seed level is due to the fact that rolling of the seeds in the seed cell over each other-as the cellular element revolves-after leaving the seed level tends to dislodge some of said seeds and allow them to roll back into the hopper.

' Thus, it will be obvious that a shallow seed level will allow the seed cell to rotate or travel further in an arcuate direction after it leaves the seed level and therefore less seed will remain in said seed cell for discharge.

This combination of parts therefore acts to regulate the extent to which the cells are to be filled and forms a controlling means in addition to the disk laminations, the interchangeability of which permits the capacity of the cells to be varied. The inclination of the disk aids to dislodge excess seeds by rolling, without rolling out all of the seeds. This effect is enchanced by reason of the tapering form of the cells.

Positive ejection of the seeds from the cells of the element 33 is assured by provision of an ejector in the form of a leaf spring 57 which is riveted to the partition at 58 in Fig. II and is appropriately bent to afford a projection 59 which automatically enters the apertures 35 successively when they are brought into registry with the hopper discharge outlet 28.

Referring once more to the stud 38 in Fig. IV. it will be observed that the same is pinned to a shaft 60 which extends rearward and is rotatively supported, at its opposite extremity, by the free end of a retroverted leaf spring 61 which is secured,

spacing of the seeds within the furrows-in lieu of the interchange or substitution of auxiliary plates 4546 and 47.

The structure above described may be advantageously employed in instances where the ground is comparatively level and free from obstructions and irregularities likely to induce change in the angle of the seed hopper and interfere with the desired order of seed distribution.

' Referring now to Figs. VII and VIII, the form of my improved seeder there shown, is similar in general to the first described embodiment with exceptions to certain details and additions. In this instance the frame 70, in order that it may be self-supporting has in addition to a trailer wheel 71, a crazy wheel 72 at the forward end. The latter wheel is supported by a swivel bracket 73 freely rotatable in a bearing 74 interposed between the side bars of the frame 70. Forward of the bearing 74, the frame side bars are bent to approach each other more closely and receive between them a hook 75 for coupling with a tractor or Whipple tree. The seed hopper 76, with the exception of being of larger proportions. is identical with the seed hopper 15 of the previous form and has the partition 50 and the rotating seed elevating element 33. Its position is however different in that it is tilted in a d rec tion laterally of the frame 70. and that its disk 33 is driven from theshat't 77 through bevelled gears 7879. The shaft 77 is driven as the corresponding shaft 60. in the first embodiment through the medium of a friction drive which includes the disks 80 and 81. The disk 80 is maintained in contact with its companion 81 by a leaf spring 82 analagous to the leaf spring 61. In order that the activity of the seeder may be suspended when desired. I provide for moving the disk 80 away from the driving disk 81. The means to this end is in the form of a hand lever 83 pivoted to a fixed bracket 84 and having a cleaver end 85 which. upon movement of the handle in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. VIII. forces the two parts of the retroverted spring 82 apart. The seeds discharged from the hopper 76 are led, as before, byachute 86 to drop directly behind the furrow opener 87. By virtue of the disposition of the hopper 76 in the manner explained, it will at once pitched with respect to the hcrizontal does not change with variations of the landover travelled and hence may be used in hilly country without in any wayinterfering with the proper discharge, of the seeds. I

In connection with the modified form of seeder, I have also shown a fertilizer hopper 88 which is mounted upon the frame 70 to the fore of the seed hopper 76. In its bottom, said fertilizer hopper 88 has a rotating member 89 whose periphery is notched as at 90 to control the rate of discharge of the fertilizing material through the opening 91 in the side wall of said hopper. The, size of this opening can be regulated by a slide 92 adapted to be set in adjusted positions by a clamp bolt 93. The discharge from the hopper 88 is guided through a chute or spout 94 to a point directly behind a plow-blade 95 by which the furrows are initially made. The flow controlling element 89 is rotated, through interposed bevel gears 96-97 from a shaft 98. Said shaft carries a sprocket wheel 99 which is coordinated, through a chain 100 with a driving sprocket wheel 101 on the shaft of the trailer wheel 71. Adaptation of the last described embodiment to feeding seeds of different sizes and kinds,

and adjustment for spacing and the numbers of seeds successively discharged is effected in precisely the same manner as previously described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Aseed sowing device comprising a seed hopper with an elevated discharge outlet; an element with tapered cells for receiving the seeds and elevating them to the discharge outlet of the hopper, composed of separable apertured disk laminations capable of being combinedin different numbers so that variation may be had both as to the diameter and depth of the seed cells in adapting the seeder to sowing seeds of different sizes and kinds,

2. A seed sowing device comprising a seed. hopper with an elevated discharge outlet; a rotating polygonal -stud projecting in-, wardly from one of the vertical walls of the hopper; an element with apertures for receiving the seeds and elevating them successively to the discharge outlet of the hop- I per and composed of separable disk laminations so that its thickness may be increased or decreased to vary its capacity with ref-' .erence to the number or size of the seeds trapped within its apertures, said lamina- "tions being appropriately pierced at the rotating polygonal stud projectin inwardly from one of the vertical walls-of t chopper; an element with apertures for receiving the seeds and elevating them successively to the discharge outlet of the hopper and composed of separable disk laminations so that its thickness may be increased or decreased to vary its capacity with reference to thenumher or size of theseeds trapped within its apertures, said laminations being appropriately pierced at the center to fit the polygonal stud; a double ended leaf spring apertures of varying diameters affording ledges sloping downwardly toward the wall and forming jointly therewith conical pockets, the sides of which diverge toward said wall, trapping and retaining the seeds during elevation to the discharge outlet aforesaid from a point substantially diametrically opposed to the discharge outlet,

whereby the pockets are partially emptied by rolling of the seeds therein.

5. A seed plate for planters comprising, a plurality of disk laminations having openings of varying diameters, for registration to form seed pockets, whereby the number of disks may be varied to vary the capacity of the pockets and the disks interchanged to vary the diameter and slope of the pockets.

6. A seed sowing device comprising, a seed hopper pitched at an angle to incline, its bottom and having an elevated opening in its lower wall, a partition in the hopper defining an upper seed reservoir and a lower ejecting compartment, the partition being spaced from the bottom of the hopper to I provide a seed passage, means to vary the aperture of the passage, and a laminated disk operating in said compartment against the said lower wall and inclined in the same direction, having downwardly sloping pockets to receive and elevate seeds to said opening for discharge therethrough, and while rotating to roll out excess seeds from said pockets without rolling out all of the seeds.

7. A seed sowing device comprising a seed hopper having an elevated discharge outlet, a rotatable element having cells adapted to dip into the seeds to fill the cells and by rotation of the element to roll out the seeds in excess of the desired number, whereby the remaining seeds in the cells may be discharged through the outlet, and means to maintain a fixed seed level, whereby the amount of seed discharged from each cell is determined by the arcuate travel of said cell from the fixed seed level to,the discharge outlet.

8. In a seed sowing device including a hopper having an elevated discharge outlet, and a rotatable laminated element having cells adapted to dip into the seeds, the combination of a partition disposed in spaced relation to the laminated element, whereby as said laminated element is r0tated-any excess seed can roll out of the cells before they register with the discharge opening.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 15 signed my name at Harrisonburg, Virginia, this 23rd day of December, 1921.

PERRY S. MARTIN.

Witnesses ALPHEU-s l BURKHOLDER, CHARLES H. MANZY. 

